Hello there my wookiee brothers and sisters!
I’ve been posting a bit less over the last week or so due to work getting nuts and personal obligations but I did want to take a few minutes to point out a few things related to this week’s issue of Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #3 that came out on December 13, 2024.
Including the first appearance of a new character who I believe will be a big part of Phase III.
The First Appearance of Melis Shryke
Melis Shryke is a Nihil storm leader who is introduced in George Mann’s Star Wars: The High Republic – Eye of Darkness novel that came out in November. Melis has multiple POV chapters and is pretty clearly being set up as a main antagonist in Phase III of the High Republic.
She’s considered an up and coming member of the Nihil and is the personal protégé of General Viess, who first appeared in Star Wars: The High Republic: The Blade #2 by Charles Soule and is now the Ministry of Protection serving under Marchio Ro. Viess is also on a variant cover of next month’s Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #4 by artist Leinil Francis Yu.
I honestly don’t know if her first appearance moves the needle in terms of value long term but I do think she’ll be a main player in phase III.
Bell Zettifar’s Fishing Crew
While Melis Shryke is easily the most notable first appearance in Star Wars: The High Republic Shadows of Starlight #3, she’s not the only new character to appear. Towards the beginning of the issue we get to see the moment where Bell resurfaces from rescuing his friend and fellow Jedi, Burryaga Agaburry, from the Eiram seas.
As it’s mentioned in the comic, this story is told in Charles Soule’s short story in the YA anthology book from Random House Worlds that came out over the summer. It’s a great book (some stories are amazing, some are just ok) that is for sure worth reading.
Long story short, Bell was so dead set on finding Burryaga that he refused to leave Eiram for Coruscant when the Guardian Protocols were enacted by the Jedi. To make ends meet Bell joined a fishing crew for a few months while he continued his search, hoping that he’d come across some information from other fishermen he crossed paths with.
His crew consisted of 9-0-9, Nelly, Gorge, and Captain Okoro. All of which get their first comic appearances on the pages of Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #3
Okazaki Exclusive Variants Are On Sale
Aside from the first appearances, I also wanted to mention that tonight at 8pm ET the Takashi Okazaki exclusive “spotlight” variants for Star Wars: The Hight Republic Shadows of Starlight #3 went on sale on The Comic Corner website.
There are three variants. A trade dress that is limited to 600 copies. A virgin variant that is limited to 500 copies. And a black and white sketch variant that is limited to 400. options to get sets and individual variants for the Takashi Okazaki exclusive.
These were previously only available in sets for the entire “spotlight” variant line (all four issues) but now you can get them individually. I personally love these variants and I don’t know if anyone is doing it better than Takashi right now.
